Marriott Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires, Argentina - lobby

The Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires is a

five-star hotel Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial purpose of informing travellers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experie ...

located in the Retiro district, just steps from

Calle Florida Florida Street ( es, Calle Florida) is a popular shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913. The pedestrian section as such starts at the intersection ...

shopping area and overlooking the Plaza San Martín.

Overview

The Plaza was originally developed by local landowner and banker

Ernesto Tornquist Ernesto Carlos Tornquist (31 December 1842 – 17 June 1908) was an Argentinian entrepreneur and businessman, considered to be one of the most important entrepreneurs in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. The diversified business empire he ...

. Facing San Martín Square, the nine-story hotel was designed by German born architect

Alfred Zucker Alfred J. R. E. Zucker (January 23, 1852 – August 2, 1913)
Guillermo ...

and built at the northern end of

Florida Street Florida Street ( es, Calle Florida) is a popular shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913. The pedestrian section as such starts at the intersection ...

. The establishment was inaugurated as the Plaza Hotel on July 15, 1909, with the presence of President

José Figueroa Alcorta José María Cornelio Figueroa Alcorta (November 20, 1860 – December 27, 1931) was an Argentine lawyer and politician, who managed to be the only person to head the three powers of the State: Vice President of the Nation (President of the ...

. The hotel's developer, Ernesto Tornquist, had died in 1908, however.Previaje: El Marriott Plaza Hotel de Buenos Aires
/ref> Touted at the time as the finest hotel in South America, it was also its most modern. The original 160 rooms and 16 suites each had central heating and telephone access, and all were accessible via elevators. The hotel was wholly furnished at its outset by the prestigious

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

houses of Thompson & Company and

Waring & Gillow Waring & Gillow (also written as Waring and Gillow) was a noted firm of English furniture manufacturers and antique dealers formed in 1897 by the merger of Gillows of Lancaster and London and Waring of Liverpool. Background Gillow & Co. The fir ...

. Marble sculptures by Gustav Eberlein of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and ceiling frescoes by Julio Vila y Prades of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

added to the hotel's decor. Two new wings were added between 1942 and 1948, and additional work completed in 1977 brought the total number of rooms to nearly 400. The Philippine Embassy in Buenos Aires initially based itself out of the hotel when it opened in 1949. The hotel was a part of the Inter-Continental Hotels chain from 1981 to 1982 and was briefly renamed the Plaza Inter-Continental. The

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

-based

Marriott Hotels Marriott Hotels & Resorts is Marriott International's brand of full-service hotels and resorts based in Bethesda, Maryland. As of June 30, 2020, there were 582 hotels and resorts with 205,053 rooms operating under the brand, in addition to 160 ...

Group assumed management of the hotel in 1994 for a period of 30 years while the property was still controlled by Tornquist's descendants. It was renamed the Marriott Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires. Following a US$10 million refurbishment, the establishment was awarded a five star rating.Marriott Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires
/ref> The hotel today maintains 270 rooms and 48 suites. It received a facelift on the occasion of its 100th anniversary in 2009, celebrated with tours for the local people and a book retelling its fabulous and centennial history. The hotel was sold in 2013 and returned to its historic name, the Plaza Hotel Buenos Aires. The hotel closed April 29, 2017 for renovations. Currently, the projected reopening date is in 2023.

Famous guests

Gallery

File:Plaza Hotel (Peuser).JPG, File:Plaza_Hotel_(1910).jpg, File:Ventanas_del_Marriott_Plaza.jpg, File:Plaza_Hotel_(AGN,_1909).jpg, File:Horacio_Coppola_-_Buenos_Aires_1936_-_Plaza_Hotel.jpg,

References and external links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marriott Plaza Hotel, Buenos Aires Hotels in Buenos Aires Hotel buildings completed in 1909